Three Years She Grew Summary

“Three Years She Grew” was written in 1798 by William Wordsworth. It is one of the five “Lucy Poems” composed during this period, while Wordsworth was living in Germany. The poem was later published in the second edition of Lyrical Ballads in 1800, which he co-authored with Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

The poem belongs to a group of poems known as the “Lucy Poems,” which focus on the life, death, and beauty of a character named Lucy. These poems reflect Wordsworth’s themes of nature, loss, and the transient nature of life.

In “Three Years She Grew,” William Wordsworth presents the relationship between a young girl, Lucy, and Nature. Nature, personified as a nurturing and guiding force, decides to claim Lucy as her own to mold her into an ideal being. Over the course of three years, Lucy grows under Nature’s care, developing grace, strength, and serenity. Nature promises to be both law and impulse for Lucy, guiding her actions and emotions through the natural world. The elements of nature, such as the clouds, stars, mountains, and rivers, are described as shaping Lucy’s character, making her playful yet calm, graceful yet strong.

Nature aims to merge Lucy’s being with the beauty of the natural world, promising to instill in her a deep sense of harmony with her surroundings. Nature will offer Lucy the peacefulness of the mute earth, the gentle motion of the clouds, the grace of the storm, and the calm of silent objects. The influence of nature will pass into Lucy’s soul, shaping her thoughts, her body, and even her face, as she internalizes the beauty and tranquility of the world around her.

However, despite this idealized growth, Lucy’s life is cut short. The final stanza reveals that she dies young, leaving the speaker in sorrow. The serene landscape she loved remains, but Lucy is gone, leaving only the memory of her brief life and the quiet beauty she embodied. The poem reflects on the fleeting nature of life and the inevitable intersection of beauty and loss, common themes in Wordsworth’s work. The poem highlights the deep connection between human beings and nature, illustrating nature’s role as both a nurturer and a witness to life’s transience.

Three Years She Grew Key Points

Author

William Wordsworth, a prominent English Romantic poet, wrote “Three Years She Grew” in 1798. It was published in 1800 as part of Lyrical Ballads, a collection co-authored with Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The poem is one of Wordsworth’s “Lucy Poems,” focusing on themes of nature, beauty, life, and loss.

Form

The poem is written in seven stanzas, each consisting of six lines (sestet). The rhyme scheme follows an alternating pattern of AABCCB, lending a musical and rhythmic quality to the poem. This structure reinforces the lyrical flow typical of Wordsworth’s poetry.

Speaker

The speaker is a reflective narrator, possibly Wordsworth himself, who observes Nature’s influence on a young girl named Lucy. The speaker shares Nature’s nurturing of Lucy and later mourns her untimely death. The speaker’s relationship with Lucy is tender, marked by sorrow and loss.

Setting

The poem is set in a natural environment where Lucy is nurtured and shaped by the elements of nature. This setting includes “rock and plain,” “earth and heaven,” and peaceful, quiet landscapes like a “heath” and a “dell.” These natural settings play a central role in Lucy’s growth and development.

Theme

Nature’s Nurturing Power: The poem emphasizes Nature’s ability to shape and influence human life. Nature plays a parental role, guiding Lucy’s physical and emotional growth.

The Transience of Life: Lucy’s brief life is a reminder of life’s fleeting nature. Her death highlights the inevitability of loss and the impermanence of beauty and vitality.

Connection Between Humans and Nature: Wordsworth explores the harmony between Lucy and the natural world, showing how deeply humans are shaped by and connected to nature.

Plot

Introduction of Lucy’s Growth: Lucy, a young girl, grows for three years under the influence of nature. Nature recognizes her beauty and decides to take her under its care, viewing her as a “lovelier flower.”

Nature Claims Lucy: Nature declares that it will take Lucy as its own and nurture her, shaping her into an ideal “Lady.” Nature assumes a parental role, guiding Lucy’s physical and emotional development.

Nature’s Promise of Guidance: Nature vows to provide both law and impulse to Lucy, offering her freedom and structure. Lucy will feel Nature’s overseeing power in every aspect of her life, from the earth to the heavens.

Lucy’s Playful and Calm Qualities: Nature describes Lucy as playful like a fawn, full of energy and joy, yet also calm and serene. Lucy will embody both the liveliness and tranquility of nature, balancing vitality with peacefulness.

Influence of Nature’s Elements: Lucy will be shaped by the clouds, storms, stars, and rivers. These elements will mold her character, giving her grace, beauty, and strength, while Nature quietly and subtly influences her through “silent sympathy.”

Physical and Emotional Growth: Nature promises to rear Lucy to “stately height,” both physically and emotionally. She will develop into a graceful, noble figure with thoughts of purity and beauty, thriving in the peaceful dell where she lives.

Lucy’s Death: Despite Nature’s nurturing, Lucy’s life is abruptly cut short. She dies young, leaving the speaker with only memories of her and the serene, unchanged natural landscape she once inhabited. The speaker mourns the loss of Lucy and reflects on the finality of her absence.

Tone

The tone shifts throughout the poem. Initially, it is nurturing and hopeful as Nature speaks of her plans for Lucy’s growth. As the poem progresses, the tone becomes serene and reflective, describing Lucy’s connection with nature. By the end, the tone turns melancholic and mournful as the speaker reflects on Lucy’s premature death.

Style

Wordsworth uses a lyrical and reflective style, typical of Romantic poetry. His use of natural imagery, personification, and metaphors create a deep connection between Lucy and the natural world. The poem is written in a simple, flowing manner, using vivid imagery and gentle rhythms to convey both the beauty of nature and the sorrow of loss.

Message

The poem conveys the message that nature has the power to shape human life, but despite its nurturing, life is transient and fragile. Wordsworth underscores the inevitability of death and loss, reminding us that even the most beautiful and vital lives can be fleeting. The poem also celebrates the deep bond between humans and nature, suggesting that while life is temporary, nature remains a constant source of beauty and solace.

Three Years She Grew: Word Meaning